Cheilosia ( Montanocheila ) gorodkovi Stackelberg, 1963

Bot, Sander, Mengual, Ximo, Meutter, Frank Van de & Skevington, Jeffrey H., 2025, Review of the genus Cheilosia Meigen, 1822 (Diptera: Syrphidae) from the Caucasus, with the description of 14 new species, European Journal of Taxonomy 1023, pp. 1-181 : 64-66

Cheilosia ( Montanocheila) gorodkovi Stackelberg, 1963

Fig. 32

Cheilosia gorodkovi Stackelberg, 1963: 518 .

Cheilosia kuznetzovae Skufjin, 1977: 58 . Syn. with Cheilosia gorodkovi by Barkalov & Mutin (2018).

Differential diagnosis

As a member of the subgenus Montanocheila , males of Cheilosia gorodkovi can be identified from those of all other subgenera by the apical sclerite of distiphallus, having two pairs (anterior and posterior) of lobes. Within the subgenus, it is similar to Cheilosia rufa sp. nov. For differences with that species, see Differential diagnosis under Cheilosia rufa . Females can be more difficult to identify as a member of the subgenus Montanocheila given that the often-used character to do so, wing with brown pattern in the middle, is not always obvious in C. gorodkovi . However, it is still possible to separate it from similar looking females from other subgenera occurring in the Caucasus by the black femora with yellow apex (femora all yellow in C. albipila and C. aurantia sp. nov.). Within the subgenus Montanocheila occurring in the Caucasus, C. gorodkovi has a not protruding face ( Fig. 32F) (protruding in the other species), short pile on scutellum (shorter than diameter of metafemur, longer than diameter of metafemur in the other species), metafemur anteroventrally with pile shorter than diameter of metafemur (longer than diameter of metafemur in the other species) and on average with shorter body length (on average 9.5 mm vs usually larger than 9.5 mm in other Montanocheila ). The male genitalia of C. gorodkovi are figured in Claussen (1998).

Material examined

Cheilosia gorodkovi was collected in 2018, 2019, 2022 and 2023, but 2018 records not published in Mengual et al. (2020); hence, all records are reported here.

ARMENIA – Kotayk Province • 1 ♀; Tsaghkadzor area, towards Grand Palace Hotel ; 40.53310° N, 44.69966° E; 1975 m a.s.l.; 24 May 2022; X. Mengual leg.; ZFMK, ZFMK-DIP-00093688 = ZFMKTIS-8014644 .

GEORGIA – Mtskheta-Mtianeti • 10 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀; Lutkhubi ; 42.3867° N, 44.79° E; 1580 m a.s.l.; 6 May 2023; F. Van de Meutter leg.; FMT • 5 ♂♂ 1 ♀; Lutkhubi ; 42.3951° N, 44.7847° E; 2138 m a.s.l.; 6 May 2023; F. Van de Meutter leg.; FMT • 2 ♂♂; same data as for preceding; ZFMK • 2 ♂♂; Lutkhubi ; 42.3984° N, 44.7866° E; 2180 m a.s.l.; 6 May 2023; W. Opdekamp leg.; WOR, C003 , C005 • 14 ♂♂; Lutkhubi ; 42.3823° N, 44.7856° E; 1500 m a.s.l.; 6 May 2023; W. Opdekamp leg.; WOR, D011 , D013 , D014 , D020 , D021 , D023 to D027 , D029 , D031 , D034 , D039 • 6 ♂♂; Lutkhubi ; 42.3938° N, 44.7857° E; 2120 m a.s.l.; 6 May 2023; W. Opdekamp leg.; WOR, E001 , E009 to E011 , E013 , E015 • 1 ♂; Lutkhubi ; 42.3930° N, 44.7929° E; 1734 m a.s.l.; 8 May 2023; W. Opdekamp leg.; WOR, C004 • 1 intersex; Lutkhubi ; 42.3989° N, 44.7995° E; 2100 m a.s.l.; 8 May 2023; W. Opdekamp leg.; WOR, D003 • 3 ♂♂; Lutkhubi ; 42.3984° N, 44.7996° E; 2068 m a.s.l.; 8 May 2023; S. Bot leg.; SBA, SB.002356 = ZFMK-TIS-8027993 , SB.002339 = ZFMK-TIS-8028447 , ZFMK-TIS-8028448 • 1 ♀; same data as for preceding; SBA, ZFMK-TIS-8027994 • 9 ♂♂, 1 ♀; Lutkhubi ; 42.3936° N, 44.7923° E; 1760 m a.s.l.; 8 May 2023; F. Van de Meutter leg.; FMT . – Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti • 1 ♂; S of Ushguli ; 42.888° N, 42.978° E; 2900 m a.s.l.; 28 Jun. 2018; S. Bot leg.; CNC, CNC databasing S. Bot 750 • 1 ♀; 42.9062° N, 42.9370° E; 2615 m a.s.l.; 16 Jun. 2019; F. Van de Meutter leg.; FMT, ZFMKTIS-8009614 • 1 ♂; Ushguli ; 42.900° N, 42.934° E; 2700 m a.s.l.; 17 Jun. 2019; S. Bot leg.; SBA, CNC databasing S. Bot 923 = SB.002338 . – Samtskhe-Javakheti • 1 ♀; Kodiani ; 41.7305° N, 43.3537° E; 2160 m a.s.l.; 10 May 2023; F. Van de Meutter leg.; FMT, ZFMK-TIS-8027946 • 2 ♀♀; Kodiani ; 41.7268° N, 43.3490° E; 2150 m a.s.l.; 10 May 2023; W. Opdekamp leg.; WOR, B004 , B006 .

Genetics

All DNA sequences of C. gorodkovi group together with high support (BS = 98.9%).

Remarks

Stackelberg (1963) described this species from East-Siberia ( Irkutsk Region) and Barkalov & Mutin (2018) synonymized Cheilosia kuznetzovae Skufjin, 1977 with it after studying the types, also reporting the species from European parts of Russia, Siberia and northern Far East. Reported from the Caucasus for the first time. We compared the specimens of the Caucasus with two males collected in Siberia, and found them to be morphologically identical, including genitalia.

Biology

During our expeditions, collected between 6 May and 28 June at an altitude between 1500 and 2900 m a.s.l. on open subalpine and alpine meadows. Males hover in groups at tree tops, or at protruding ridges on the mountain slope. Visits a variety of mainly low flowers, including Ranunculus sp. and white and yellow crucifers.

Distribution

Europe ( Poland and European parts of Russia), Caucasus ( Armenia and Georgia), east through Siberia up to the Far East (Magadan Region, Yakutia).